The mounds of snow that built up along our driveway over the last five weeks are all but gone. This is the third, and predicted to be the last, day of our January, er, February thaw.
We are entering the prime time of year for tree pruning, and this year we'll have to clean up the damage we received from the three big ice storms we had. The ragged breaks will have to be pruned back to the branch collars, and all that big mound of downed limbs will need to be cut up and hauled to the yard-waste recycling site.
I would like to give a shout-out to this wonderful shrub, the inkberry holly. I have several in my yard, and they are so beautiful and hardy I'm tempted to plant more. They are native to the area, and despite a long spell of single-digit weather they show no sign of "freezer burn", nor did they snap and break in the ice. Their leaves have remained a lovely glossy deep green through the whole winter. In summer, they look fresh no matter if we're having a flood or a drought. I like to keep mine pruned in a loose, natural shape, but some people clip them like boxwood and create a much denser look. If you're looking for a carefree native, the inkberry is my recommendation!
We're headed into the more interesting time of year for strolling. To see who else was tempted out by the 40 degree weather, go to The Quiet Country House.
5 comments:
Wow! Thanks for your tips on the inkberry! Can't believe how GREEN it is, having withstood three ice storms! Isn't it wonderful to be outside in a thaw after so much bitter cold weather?
Joyce, What a nice stroll. You really don't have much snow left, or so it appears! The inkberry is great. I definitely need more evergreens to improve my winter landscape.
Enjoy the warm spell!
We didn't have nearly as much snow as a lot of folks have had, it's just been very cold, so what we had stayed around a long time. So it was great to be outside, not slipping and sliding around for once!
It sounds like you enjoyed getting out and about yesterday. I know more snow is coming but at least we have a fresh start now!
All our snow melted the past weekend, too--you can see our driveway again! Unfortunately, we were busy with other things and didn't have time to get out for some clean-up--we still have lots of limbs to take care of as well.
I'll have to remember the inkberry holly; I don't have any holly at all, and it's nice to get a recommendation from someone in the area about its hardiness.
I just took the time to watch the Ellen video you posted Saturday--that was hilarious!
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